Back in 2016, I wrote a play-based curriculum, designed to teach kids who knew their letters how to read. It combined my love for early childhood education (I have a master’s in elementary reading and lit) and my skill of writing. Teaching Reading Through Play has been live on Schoolhouse Teachers ever since, but I never really did anything else with it.
But, as I worked to grow my freelance writing business, my curriculum kept popping back into my brain. I’d push it down and forget about it again, never feeling like the time was right to devote energy to a passion project.
However, that changed in early 2019. I posted on Facebook that I was determined to do something with it this year. I even asked for volunteers to check it out, and had some great interest.
So, I quickly dusted off the files, and had my daughter update some of the worst rough patches in the design. Then I emailed it out for people to Beta test.
The feedback I got was positive. Parents enjoyed using games and activities to teach their kids to read.
And this gave me the courage I needed to move forward with the next step.
Preparing to Sell My Curriculum
I recently bought a domain (TeachingReadingThroughPlay.com) and set up a simple sales page:
And then do you know what I did? I put my homeschool reading curriculum out into the real world. Imperfections and all.
I pushed my fears aside and took the plunge.
And I’m so glad I did. The feedback from the free sample I offered has been encouraging.
And that pushed me to take one final step.
I hired someone to turn my blah curriculum into a beautiful curriculum.
It’s been with the graphic designer for much of October, and I’ll be getting it back in another week or so.
Sneak Peek of the Newly Designed Teaching Reading Through Play
Do you know what that designer did? She took my ugly Word file and started creating something amazing. Here are some sneak peeks for you:
I was really worried that my “girly” branding would get in the way of this curriculum, so I asked the designer to use the teal color I’ve pulled into my pallet over on my other site. Then I asked her to keep active little boys in mind as she designed. Because I wrote it for my active little boys who didn’t want to sit and do the same boring workbook over and over again. They wanted to play.
I’m thrilled with how it’s shaping up, and can’t wait to see the completed thing.
I do need to go into the sales page and modify it to match. No pink fluff over there when I get done with it! 😀
Incredible Low Price for the Beta Version
Currently, I have the Beta version available for $25. This is for a 36-week curriculum that takes your child from knowing letters and sounds to reading short vowel sounds. It’s perfect for kindergartners, first graders, and struggling second graders.
This price is super low, since I wanted to make it affordable. And since…it’s really ugly!
But, this introductory beta price is only around until the middle of November. Then the price is going up.
If you’ve been looking for a play-based curriculum, now is the time to buy. Because…
I send updated files to everyone who has the Beta version.
That means, you get the updated, newly designed file for the price of the ugly one. It’s a great bargain!
You just have to deal with an ugly curriculum for a couple of weeks…
So, spread the word. If you know a homeschooling family looking for a new way to teach reading through play, send them the link above. Learning to read doesn’t have to be boring…
